Daily Dose: Price Is Right
For other news and notes from around the fantasy baseball landscape, check out Matthew Pouliot's Sunday Strike Zone column. And keep it locked on Rotoworld's player news page for all the latest, right as it happens.
Rays left-hander David Price got off to a rough start in 2013 and it looked as though this might become a lost season for him when he was placed on the disabled list May 15 with a strained left triceps muscle and a 5.24 ERA. But the guy is a bona fide ace, and he’s proving that now with the way he has bounced back since returning from that upper arm injury.
Price tossed his first complete game since last September 25 on Sunday afternoon in the Rays’ 3-1 defeat of the White Sox, fanning five batters without issuing a walk as Tampa Bay improved to 49-40 on the year. Price now has a 0.56 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 15/0 K/BB ratio in 16 innings (two starts) since his July 2 activation from the disabled list.
He’s done that damage against two of the weakest offenses in the American League -- Houston and Chicago -- but his command has been good and he has felt strong, and there’s no reason to think that he can’t replicate those kind of pitching lines against a better opponent. It just so happens that Price’s final first-half matchup pits him against the Astros for the second time in two weeks. He is an obvious must-start again in all standard fantasy formats.
A’s Get A Little More Green
Let’s skip the “Moneyball” references and roll right into the hard-hitting fantasy baseball analysis.
As first reported by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s will call up top infield prospect Grant Green from Triple-A Sacramento in time for Monday night’s series-opener in Pittsburgh against the National League Central-leading Pirates. Green, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, has registered a .318/.374/.500 batting line with 25 doubles, 11 home runs and 49 RBI in 81 games this season in the Pacific Coast League, and he’s also managed to steal four bases.
Prospect evaluators have soured a bit on Green’s potential since he was first drafted, but post-hype sleepers make for better fantasy commodities anyway and it’s quite clear that the 25-year-old native of Southern California has taken a step forward offensively this season.
Green will platoon at second base with Eric Sogard in the early going for the A’s but could take on more of a full-time role if he performs well against both right-handed and left-handed pitching. Scoop him up in standard mixed leagues.
National League Quick Hits: The Nationals acquired outfielder Scott Hairston from the Cubs late Sunday night in exchange for a minor league pitcher … Carlos Gonzalez is day-to-day after leaving Sunday’s game with a sprained right middle finger … Pirates outfielder Starling Marte hit a game-tying solo home run in the ninth inning Sunday against the Cubs … Yadier Molina (knee) expects to return to the Cardinals’ starting lineup on Tuesday night … Clayton Kershaw allowed just one run on three hits over eight innings Sunday as the Dodgers beat the Giants …Domonic Brown tripled and homered Sunday in the Phillies’ win over the Braves … Carlos Villanueva tossed four innings of one-run ball, fanning five, in his return to the Cubs’ starting rotation on Sunday afternoon against the Pirates … The Reds have expressed some interest in free agent outfielder Jeff Francoeur … Paul Goldschmidt upped his RBI total to 74 with a big weekend against the Rockies … Cubs closer Kevin Gregg blew his second save of the season on Sunday versus Pittsburgh … Reds setup man Jonathan Broxton (elbow) has not been cleared for throwing … Yasiel Puig finished 2-for-4 with his fifth stolen base Sunday as the Dodgers defeated the Giants … Mets closer Bobby Parnell converted a four-out save in Sunday’s defeat of the Brewers … Troy Tulowitzki (rib) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week … Josh Satin stayed hot on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a stolen base in the Mets’ win over the Brewers … Patrick Corbin fanned 10 batters and surrendered just one run over eight innings on Sunday, earning his 10th win of the season as the Diamondbacks swept the Rockies … Braves right-hander Kris Medlen was shelled for seven runs -- six earned -- in 5 1/3 innings Sunday in a loss to the Phillies … Roy Oswalt left his start Sunday against the Diamondbacks with a strained left hamstring … Ricky Nolasco will make his Dodgers debut on Tuesday in Arizona.
American League Quick Hits: Angels ace Jered Weaver has allowed just two earned runs over his last 20 2/3 innings and seems to be settling back in after his mid-June struggles … Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-4 with a walk, a homer and two RBI in the Tigers’ loss to the Indians on Sunday … Mike Trout launched his 15th home run of the season Sunday in the Angels’ win over the Red Sox … Blue Jays outfielder Rajai Davis doubled, homered and stole his 22nd base of the season Sunday against the Twins … Jacoby Ellsbury is working on a 17-game hitting streak … Mariano Rivera blew his second save of the season Sunday as the Yankees fell to the Orioles … Clay Buchholz is scheduled to test his right shoulder in a bullpen session on Tuesday … A’s outfielder Josh Reddick hit his fourth home run of the season Sunday against the Royals … Adrian Beltre slugged his 18th home run of the season Sunday in the Rangers’ defeat of the Astros … Luke Scott finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored in the Rays’ win over the White Sox on Sunday … The Yankees claimed first baseman Travis Ishikawa from the Orioles on Sunday … Jurickson Profar went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Sunday against the Astros and is now batting .246/.320/.360 over his first 127 plate appearances this season … Tigers starter Doug Fister allowed six runs over six innings Sunday in a no-decision against the Indians … Colby Rasmus slugged his 16th home run of the season and tallied three RBI in the Blue Jays’ rout of the Twins on Sunday … Michael Pineda has completed his 30-day minor league rehab assignment but was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will likely remain there until the end of this month … The Rangers placed veteran slugger Lance Berkman on the 15-day disabled list with left hip inflammation … Michael Brantley is batting .342/.381/.553 with two home runs, seven RBI and eight runs scored over his last 10 games.
